Just days after Little League International denounced Goffstown manager Jeff O'Connell's decision not to play his last substitute in the New England Regional semifinals last Friday in Bristol, Conn.,...

Katie McQuaid's Scene in Manchester: Wear pink and prepare to be pampered at the Enchanting Beauty Women's Expo

You may have received an exclusive invitation, but don't even try showing up at the Enchanting Beauty Women's Expo without wearing pink.

"If you don't come in pink, you can't get in," said Dick Anagnost, who is helping organize the Friday, Oct. 18, event.

Anagnost is well-known in our city for good ideas. But the Enchanting Beauty Women's Expo wasn't one of them. This good idea came from Anagnost's son, Alexander, and some of his fellow Southern New Hampshire University students as part of a class project.

The exclusive lunchtime event will be held at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church. Beginning at 11:30 a.m., the expected 400 female guests will be treated to an afternoon of music, food, fashion and fun. There will be a "fashion on a dime" runway show, professionals sharing tips and advice on financial planning, nutrition, health and beauty. There will be vendors, a comedian, a photo booth, massages, gift bags and more.

There are clearly a lot of moving parts to this event, but everything is being donated, including the food from Cactus Jack's and T-Bones and the wine from Martignetti Companies. Even the table linens are being donated, the Anagnosts told The Scene. That means more money can go to the two charities the event supports, Families in Transition and the American Cancer Society. The pink attire requirement is in honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

In case you didn't catch it, the event includes wine in the middle of a work day. The idea is that local businesses will buy tables of ten for $1,000 each and give their female employees a half-day off for a little pampering.

There are only a few tables left. If you are interested in sponsoring one for your female employees or other important women in your life, contact Alexander Anagnost at alexandera@anagnost.com.

Of course there will be a few men there too, including Dick and Alexander Anagnost. I am sure they will be wearing pink too.

Irish need apply

We're halfway to Saint Patrick's Day and the Saint Patrick's Day Parade Committee is seeking nominations for grand marshal.

An online nomination form and a list of past grand marshals, including Father Jerome Day, Louis Craig and Marty Quirk, can be found at www.saintpatsnh.com. The committee is looking for nominees of Irish heritage and Catholic faith who have contributed to the betterment of the Greater Manchester area. The chosen grand marshal will get to march on March 30 with their family in the parade.

Stephanie McLaughlin, owner of Savoir Faire Marketing Communications, helps the committee organize the parade. I told her I was confused by the Catholic faith requirement for the grand marshal and she kindly explained that the parade has deep Catholic roots and the committee is very tightly tied to the Ancient Order of Hibernians and Saint Raphael Church.

It was then that I realized that Saint Patrick himself was Catholic. His holy day has become such a secular celebration I had forgotten. It must be all that green beer.

Showing love for Luke

Students and faculty members at Hillside Middle School are showing their community spirit again as they plan the 2nd annual Luke Capistran Memorial 5K.

Kathy Carlson, a Hillside educator and co-adviser of the Builder's Club (a service and leadership club affiliated with Kiwanis), told me about the event at Derryfield Park, which raises money for the Luke Capistran Scholarship Fund. Capistran was a beloved student at Weston Elementary, Hillside and Central High School. He lost a battle with cancer in 2011, when he was still in high school, but a group of his peers and teachers inspired by his bravery, good sportsmanship and encouragement decided to honor his memory with an annual race/walk/kids fun run.

This year's event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 5, with the kids fun run starting at 9 a.m. and the 5K race/walk starting at 10 a.m. The entry fee is $15 for those who register early and there are special discounts for families, teams and Manchester educators. You can register online at https://www.millenniumreg.com/2013-luke-capistran-memorial-5k.

For more information or to offer a donation, contact Carlson at kcarlson@mansd.org or her co-adviser Tara Lindh at tlindh@mansd.org.

Marathon time

It's already Manchester City Marathon time again. Registration for the 7th annual race on Sunday, Nov. 3, is now open. All races begin and end on Elm Street and wind their way through various city neighborhoods.

If you like to run, but the thought of 26.2 miles is too daunting, there is always the half-marathon and relay options. The latter is my favorite because it lets you and three friends each tackle a portion of the challenging course and celebrate together at the end.

You can see the DeLorean auto from "Back to the Future III" at this weekend's 10th annual Granite State Comic Con. My buddies at Double Midnight Comics and Collectibles promise me it's going to be the largest Comic Con the Granite State has ever seen. For the first time ever, the "celebration of comics and geek culture" will be held over two days — Saturday and Sunday — at the Radisson.

In addition to the traditional comic artists, vendors, game tournaments, and costume contests, attendees at this year's Comic Con can see the only privately owned, screen-used DeLorean in existence. There will also be a script reading of The Avengers by a number of guest voice actors, includingJim Cummingsof Winnie the Pooh fame and Jess Harnell and Rob Paulsenfrom the hit cartoon Animaniacs.

Tickets are $15 per day or $25 for a weekend pass. VIP tickets are also available and children under 10 are free with an adult ticket purchase.

Visit www.nh365.org for more information on events happening around Manchester this weekend.

If you have an interesting item for Scene in Manchester, write to Scene@UnionLeader.com.